# Celestia vs Earth Rotation

The clearest difference is price: Celestia at Free against Earth Rotation's $0.99. Celestia also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 22 months) and ratings volume (338 vs 1). Earth Rotation's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.4) and in-app purchases (none vs 4). On ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Celestia is free to download; Earth Rotation costs $0.99 up front. Celestia sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 7 days. Earth Rotation asks for nothing beyond the download.

Earth Rotation holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Celestia has 338 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Celestia ships an update fortnightly, Earth Rotation every 22 months. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Celestia | Earth Rotation |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $0.99 |
| Rating | [4.4 (338 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/celestia-space-simulator/id1500434829/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/earth-rotation/id1610455878/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **338** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 78.9% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 22 months |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Size | 550 MB | 46 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [林峰 李](https://appshunter.io/developer/1186547508) | [Masahiro Tomosada](https://appshunter.io/developer/1587710118) |

## What reviewers say

### Celestia

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/celestia-space-simulator/id1500434829)

Explore the universe in real-time 3D. Visit planets, moons, star clusters, and galaxies, viewing them from any point in space and time. Customize your experience with expandable content and detailed simulations.

**Highlights:** Real-time 3D space visualization, Explore planets, moons, stars, galaxies, Accurate solar system object positions, Interactive planetarium mode, Expandable content with add-ons, Customizable celestial databases

**Features:** Game Controller support, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Celestia PLUS (Weekly) | $0.99 | per 7 days |
| Celestia PLUS (Monthly) | $1.99 | per month |
| Celestia PLUS (Yearly) | $19.99 | per year |
| Celestia PLUS (Lifetime) | $79.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- ⭐ Realistic space simulation
- 🌌 Ability to explore galaxies and star systems
- 🔍 Detailed planet and moon textures
- 📷 Great for taking screenshots
- 🤖 Reminds users of Space Engine

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes and glitches
- 🌌 Limited exploration beyond Milky Way and Andromeda
- 🌍 Flat terrain on planets
- 🔍 Lack of detail on some celestial objects
- 🔒 Paywall for some features

**Reported bugs**

- Milky Way and other galaxy textures not loading properly
- Crashes when using certain add-ons
- Issues with planet and moon orbits not being accurate

**Requested features**

- Add more exoplanets and distant star systems
- Implement terrain generation for planets
- Expand to include more galaxies and the overall universe structure
- Add support for black holes, pulsars, and other exotic objects
- Improve controls and camera movement


### Earth Rotation

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/earth-rotation/id1610455878)

Explore a 3D simulation of celestial bodies. Adjust rotation speeds, reverse direction, and alter lighting angles. Choose from three distinct Earth visual styles for an interactive learning experience.

**Highlights:** Adjustable rotation speed, Reverse rotation direction, Adjustable sun lighting angle, Three Earth visual styles, 3D celestial animation

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Celestia free?

Celestia is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Earth Rotation free?

Earth Rotation costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Celestia or Earth Rotation?

Earth Rotation is rated higher. Celestia averages 4.4 out of 5 from 338 ratings, while Earth Rotation averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Celestia or Earth Rotation have ads?

Neither Celestia nor Earth Rotation shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Celestia or Earth Rotation?

Celestia ships an update fortnightly, and Earth Rotation every 22 months. Most recently, Celestia was updated on October 27, 2026 and Earth Rotation on October 8, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*